Hedgehogs have become a lot more popular as pets within the past decade or two, which is a very exciting thing to hear! These interesting little creatures are so adorable and have a big personality for their small body.
Because of this, it makes sense that hedgehog owners would want to make sure that their companion is as happy and healthy as possible.
One of the most influential factors of a hedgehogâs health is their food, as it impacts their health, growth, and happiness. So, this begs the question: Whatâs the best hedgehog food?
There are several things to consider while choosing a hedgehog food for your spiky friend. So, weâve created this guide so that you know what your hedgehog needs and what to look for in a hedgehog food.
Table of Contents
What Do Hedgehogs Eat In The Wild?
In order to pick the best hedgehog food, we first need to consider what hedgehogs regularly eat in the wild. Although hedgehogs are kept as pets around the world, theyâve been roaming freely around the earth for 15 million years! During this time, theyâve barely changed, eating roughly the same foods and adapting to efficiently digest and process those foods.
Because of this, itâs important that you match your hedgehogs diet to the diet of a wild hedgehog â thatâs what their bodies are designed for!
Hedgehogs are primarily insectivores, meaning that they eat a wide variety of different insects to get their essential nutrients. However, theyâre not very picky animals, and theyâve been seen eating slugs, frogs, mice, worms, fish, eggs, and even some fruit in addition to insects.
This means that their digestive systems arenât extremely finicky, but still need to be considered when youâre picking out a diet. Because insects with a high protein level are the staple food of a wild hedgehog, thatâs what weâll be focusing on when looking for the best hedgehog food.
How To Properly Feed Your Hedgehog
Because of the fact that there are many different hedgehog owners, there are many different opinions on how hedgehogs should be fed. Some owners believe that hedgehogs should have constant access to food, while others believe that their daily food should be broken up into two or three feedings.
In the wild, hedgehogs arenât really sure about when theyâre going to have their next meal. Therefore, they eat consistently throughout the day whenever they come across. Itâs this reasoning that leads many owner to believe that hedgehogs should be free-fed.
Every hedgehog is different, though. If your hedgehog eats their food very quickly, it may be a good idea to split up feedings so that they donât have to go without food for a very long time.
It can be easy to lose track of how much food your hedgehog is getting, so keep a close eye on your food supply. Doing so will make sure that theyâre adequately fed and not left with stale food.
Itâs recommended that standard hedgehogs get 2-4 level tablespoons of dry food, in addition to 1-2 teaspoons of a moist foods such as canned cat food, cooked egg, or cooked meat. This is just a baseline, though. Every hedgehog is different, so you must monitor your hedgehogâs diet and make sure that youâre meeting their needs.
One thing to note is that a hedgehogâs diet isnât an exact science. Because of this, itâs recommended that you provide your hedgehog with a variety of different foods to ensure that theyâre getting their necessary nutrition. Many owners feed their hedgehogs a blend of two different foods in addition to healthy treats.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Cat Food?
Whether or not hedgehogs can eat cat food has been a debated topic for a while, and thereâs quite an interesting bit of information behind this debate.
For a very long time, commercial hedgehog food wasnât available anywhere. When hedgehog-specific food finally came out, it left much to be desired. Therefore, many people decided to feed their hedgehogs cat food as itâs easily attainable, packed with protein, and has small kibble pieces that hedgehogs can eat.
Ever since this time, even though decent hedgehog food has become available, many owners only feed their hedgehogs cat foot.
Although it may seem like a compromise, cat food isnât bad for hedgehogs. As long as the food itself has high levels of protein and fiber, low amounts of fat and fillers, and comes in bite-sized pieces, hedgehogs should thrive off of it.
Cat food is also great for owners as itâs a lot more readily-available, tends to be cheaper, and thereâs quite a large variety of it.
So in short, yes, hedgehogs can eat cat food. Not every cat food is suitable for them, though. You need to ensure that their specific dietary needs are being met by the food. Itâs necessary that you give a cat foodâs nutritional content special attention due to the fact that itâs not being crafted with a hedgehogâs needs in mind.
In fact, cat food is so good for hedgehogs that we can only recommend that you feed your hedgehog cat food! The hedgehog food thatâs available simply has too many fillers and not enough wholesome ingredients.
How To Transition A Hedgehog To New Food
The above information may be shocking to existing hedgehog owners, and thatâs entirely understandable! Itâs a shame that the food thatâs marketed as âhedgehog foodâ isnât actually suitable for hedgehogs.
Fortunately, if youâre already feeding your hedgehog âhedgehog foodâ, it isnât a difficult process to transition them into a good food.
Note that hedgehogs have sensitive stomachs, meaning that most hedgehogs will have an upset stomach with a sudden change in food. Some hedgehogs can also be very picky and start a hunger strike, and this will require syringe-feeding after a day or two of refusing to eat.
When youâre first introducing the new food, itâs best that you do so while incorporating the old food into the new food over a period of a few weeks. This allows them to mentally and physically ease into the new food and avoid most complications that may arise.
The typical transition plan that people follow is:
- Week 1: 75% old food, 25% new food
- Week 2:Â 50% old food, 50% new food
- Week 3:Â 25% old food, 75% new food
- Week 4:Â 100% new food
What Defines The Best Hedgehog Food?
As stated previously, hedgehogs have specific dietary needs that need to be met through their foods. There is a plethora of different hedgehog and cat foods available that donât meet those requirements, so be vigilant in making sure that it follows these guidelines:
- Nutrition â No matter what food you buy for your hedgehog, it needs to meet their specific dietary requirements. Hedgehogs need a protein level between 25-40%, lower fat around 10-15%, and a healthy amount of fiber around 5-10%. In addition to those key elements, if the food contains L-carnitine, thatâs a plus. If it doesnât supplementation of this is recommended as it promotes heart health. Also, take note of the ingredient list. The first two ingredients should contain meat protein sources, and there should be a substantial lack of fillers such as high amounts of corn, grains, or meat by-products.
- Brand â While the brand of food certainly isnât everything, itâs still a factor to consider. Cheaper food made by an unknown brand usually boasts that cheaper price because of its lack of quality ingredients and possession of fillers. Reputable brands have a lot more to lose if their food results in poor health, so itâs almost always a better idea to get your hedgehogâs food from established companies and brands.
- Flavor â Although hedgehogs are very small, they still have functioning taste buds! Hedgehogs can tell if their food is too salty, bitter, or sweet, and theyâre smart enough to know if they like a certain food or not! Therefore, youâll want to read reviews from hedgehog owners that touch on the enthusiasm that their hedgehogs have for that food. Since every hedgehog is different, though, youâll need to keep an eye on your hedgehogâs reaction to a food.
- Form â The form of your hedgehogâs food is also quite important. Hard, crunchy food is very important to have as it promotes good dental health in hedgehogs. Food thatâs too soft wonât adequately work the teeth and jaw, meaning dental problems may arise.
- Life stage â You should also consider how old your hedgehog is, as younger and older hedgehogs have different nutritional needs. Pregnant hedgehogs require about 2-3 times per food than a healthy adult male, while younger hedgehogs may require a bit more protein to adequately grow. Keep a watchful eye on your hedgehog, though. This animal is prone to obesity, so if you notice your hedgehog gaining weight, youâll want to cut back on their food supply.
What Is The Best Cat Food For Hedgehogs?
Weâve taken a look at many different hedgehog foods (AKA cat foods), taking into account things such as the price per pound, quality of ingredients, and the well-being of hedgehogs that eat the food. Through this, weâve found five foods that would make an excellent staple of your hedgehogâs diet.
Remember, every hedgehog is different. While there is a good chance that your hedgehog will respond well to the foods listed below, there is a chance that they may also reject it.
When it comes to suitable cat food for hedgehogs, youâre really not going to find better than Gold cat food made by Fromm. This food is takes a holistic approach to a balanced nutrition for cats, but perfectly lines up with the diet of hedgehogs, too.
A big focus on natural ingredients defines this food, as some of the first ingredients are wholesome and keep a hedgehog both full and nourished. Duck and chicken meal are the first two ingredients, closely followed by pearled barley, white rice, and potatoes.
These ingredients combine to provide 30% protein, 10% fat, and 3.5% fiber. Although fiber is on the lower end, a small fiber supplement will easily round out this food.Cat and hedgehog owners alike seem to love this food! Even the pickiest animals canât get enough of this kibble, and even pets with sensitive stomachs easily keep it down.
Additionally, the high-quality ingredients do an amazing job keeping this food smelling and tasting excellent. Hedgehog owners that combine this food with another kibble that has more fiber say that theyâre confident that their hedgehogâs diet is well-rounded.The only downside to this food is the presence of barley and rice in the first few ingredients. The presence of these ingredients may be a turnoff for some owners. However, these are totally fine for hedgehogs to eat as long as theyâre getting enough nutrients otherwise. All thatâs necessary is to keep an eye on your hedgehog to make sure theyâre not gaining excess amounts of weight.
PROSâ
- Nutritionally-complete
- Great protein sources
- Appealing taste and texture
CONS
- Contains rice and barley, which some owners may not like.
Nutroâs formula for indoor cat food is fantastic for hedgehogs, making it one of the best hedgehog foods available. This food boasts that its #1 ingredient is farm-raised chicken, providing a great taste in a wholesome and nourishing way.
All ingredients were selected to keep the calorie content fairly low with a fat content of 14%, as itâs formulated for indoor cats that donât get too much exercise. On top of its great protein content of 33%, this food also has a good fiber content of 7% to promote healthy digestion.
Thereâs also a good presence of omega-6 fatty acids for healthy skin and a total lack of GMO ingredients that may be questionable.Pet owners love this food, commending it for its natural ingredients that seem to agree with most digestive systems quite well. Hedgehogs themselves seem to love this food, too, as the pellets are easy to eat and taste great due to the focus on farm-raised chicken.
It excellently aligns with a hedgehogâs dietary requirements, meaning that not much supplementation is needed beyond this food.Much like virtually every other food, this food contains rice as some of the main ingredients. This is done to round out the food and make pets feel more full and satisfied. However, some owners donât like this. As stated previously, the presence of grain is no issue as long as you keep a close eye on your hedgehogâs weight.
PROSâ
- Nutritional content aligned with a hedgehogâs needs
- Farm-raised chicken is first ingredient
- Made to be lower calorie
CONS
- Contains rice
Blue Buffalo is an established and trusted pet food manufacturer, and this food shows that very well. Made for adult cats that need special attention with their weight control, this food is exactly what hedgehogs need in their diet.
The first two ingredients are deboned chicken and chicken meal with absolutely no chicken by-products, followed by whole grains and healthy veggies. The antioxidant-rich ingredients that contain essential vitamins and minerals do a great job providing hedgehogs with a well-rounded diet and meeting their tough nutritional needs.
At 30% protein, 10% fat and 9% fiber, this food is exactly what hedgehogs need to thrive.There are many hedgehog owners that have been feeding this food to their hedgehogs for years with great results. They state that it keeps their hedgehog full, they notice excess amounts of energy, and there isnât a problem with excessive weight gain.
The great nutritional content doesnât require much supplementation, either. On top of everything, virtually no hedgehogs turn their nose up at this food.Once again, this food does contain brown rice and barley. This is not a bad thing, especially since the first two ingredients are chicken and chicken meal, but it may be a concern. However, this food is created with weight control in mind, meaning that the presence of grains shouldnât be a problem for weight control.
PROSâ
- Wholesome chicken as first 2 ingredients
- Aligned with hedgehogâs nutritional needs
- Rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals
CONS
- Contains rice and barley
A bit of a different food than the rest of the foods highlighted in this post, Natural Balanceâs limited ingredient food is still a great choice for hedgehog owners. As the name suggests, this food has fewer ingredients than most other foods on the market, making it a good choice for owners looking to take a more natural, holistic approach.
Duck comprises some of the first ingredients of this food, providing a healthy, lean protein source. Peas are also used as an excellent energy source, and canola oil, salmon oil, and flaxseed are added to supply omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
This all results in a protein content of 29.5%, fat content of 11.5%, and fiber content of 5%.Hedgehog owners seem to have great success with this food. Fat hedgehogs easily lost weight, while underweight hedgehogs fattened up to a normal weight. Itâs an easy food for hedgehogs to eat, and it stays down and digests without a problem.
The nutritional content also keeps owners from worrying whether or not their hedgehogs are getting all of their nutrients.Although this food is great now, it used to be a lot better. A formula change within the last couple of years has added some ingredients to this food, and some cats responded worse to it. Hedgehogs donât seem to mind the change, though.
Additionally, peas are the first ingredient in this food. Peas are high in calcium, so while this food shouldnât cause any problems, avoid feeding your hedgehog any excess calcium outside of this food.
PROSâ
- Limited ingredients
- Grain-free
- Focus on natural protein sources
CONS
- Recent formula change added more ingredients
- Peas as first ingredient
Chicken Soup for the Cat Loverâs Soul needs to change their name to include âhedgehogâ somewhere in there. This long-standing food is excellent for hedgehogs and a staple in many of their diets. Chicken and chicken meal are the first two ingredients, with turkey meal as the fourth ingredient.
It uses natural vegetable fiber to reduce the calorie content of the food while still providing enough nutritional value. Itâs a great food for hedgehogs struggling with their weight, as the protein content is 34% with 9% fat and 8% fiber.Hedgehog owners that feed their pets this food swear by it, stating that itâs fantastic for them. The natural ingredients are hard to beat, and most hedgehogs have no problem eating this food. Owners also love the fact that thereâs no wheat or corn, meaning that thereâs more of a focus on wholesome ingredients.There arenât too many complains about this food! The one concern is that some cats and hedgehogs donât like the taste of this food, meaning that it was a bit of a waste. However, most pets do like the taste, so itâs a safe assumption that your hedgehog will, too.
PROSâ
- Nutritionally-complete
- No wheat or corn
- Chicken and chicken meal as first two ingredients
CONS
- Taste leaves something to be desired
Our Choice
All of the foods that we have reviewed are more than suitable for hedgehogs and contain all of the essential nutrients that they need to live a happy and healthy life. Hedgehogs have specific dietary needs â needs that arenât met by commercial hedgehog foods. Therefore, the cat foods listed above provide the best nourishment for these prickly creatures.After analyzing all of the food on the market that suitable for hedgehogs, weâve determined that the best cat food for hedgehogs is Fromm Mature Gold Dry Cat Food.This well-priced cat food has been carefully crafted to provide excellent nutritional value that hedgehogs benefit immensely from. While this food is the best of the best, any of the foods in this list would make your hedgehog more than happy.
How do I feed my hedgehog cat food .. when there are several cats around that eat it x
Lol! That would definitely be a problem, wouldnât it? đ Feeding within the cage is always a great way to deter any other hungry animals lurking around.